Speaking of books...

TONIGHT Amity Shlaes, The Forgotten Man: A New History of the Great Depression. Former Wall Street Journal editorial writer Shlaes discusses her new history of the 1930s, focusing on personalities great and small and doing her best to take the shine off of FDR’s reputation. World War II, not big government, is what finally ended the Depression, she argues. 7 p.m., Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. (202) 364-1919.

JULY 14Robert F. Durant, The Greening of the U.S. Military. A professor of public administration at American University, Durant has exhaustively researched how much progress the Pentagon made in cleaning up the nearly 20,000 toxic waste sites on its bases by the end of the Cold War. He describes the resulting behind-the-scenes battle over the “greening” of the military, which is still being fought today. 1 p.m., Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. (202) 364-1919.

JULY 15Sarah Browning, Whisky in the Garden of Eden. D.C. poet and activist Browning reads from her first book, a collection of 44 poems that swing from the personal to the political and back again. Some samples: “In a City of Barricades, I Dream of Baghdad,” and “Falling for Tiger Woods in a St. Louis Airport Bar.” 6 p.m., Busboys and Poets, 2021 14th St. NW. (202) 387-7638.

JULY 18Robert D. Novak, The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years Reporting in Washington. The insider’s insider, über-pundit Novak is back to tell his story, starting from the early days. His book is both a feisty personal history and a sharp sword for settling scores — including, of course, his tangle with a certain Mr. and Mrs. Joe Wilson. 7 p.m., Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW. (202) 364-1919.

Robyn Meredith, The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China, and What It Means for All of Us. Lou Dobbs may be whipping up protectionist frenzy, but as Meredith argues, the U.S. has nothing to fear from India and China. American consumers and companies alike benefit from China’s cheap yuan, while most of India’s wealth created by “out-sourced” jobs comes back to the U.S. Meredith, a correspondent for Forbes, also wagers that China will do better than India over the long run, because it began liberalization earlier and its citizens save more. 7 p.m., Olsson’s Books & Records-Dupont Circle, 1307 19th St. NW. (202) 785-1133.